


The perfect plot

by inkedauthority



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Hollywood, F/F, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Mentor/Protégé, Swan Queen Week, Swan Queen Week Winter 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9556445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkedauthority/pseuds/inkedauthority
Summary: A complicated past, an agreement that left them devastated, and a once budding career that only the past can solve; Emma Swan is facing the Hollywood backlash after a string of bad reviews from several of her performances, and with her career plummeting, the only person who can help her is her old mentor and casting director Regina Mills. With their messy history, Emma and Regina must come to terms with their entanglements, behave as professionally as possible, and make sure Regina’s once pet project and now struggling heroine doesn’t circle the drain.Written for Swan queen week: Day 1 Celebrity AU





	

**A/N:** Written for swan queen week, day 1: Celebrity AU

 **Warnings:** Vast age difference, mention of sex with a minor (Nothing graphic), profanity.

 **Disclaimer:** Only the plot and writing is mine. Characters belong to ABC's Once upon a time.

_Unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine._

* * *

Emma's eyes caught that of her old girlfriend, or if one could call their relationship that, and slunk down impossibly closer to her boyfriend's arm. It was all for show, to up the ratings of their latest movie by pretending to date, but even so, the idea had made her skin crawl the first few days, until Killian Jones proved himself to be the ultimate gentleman, introducing her to his makeup artist with whom he was entangled in a secret love affair.

It wasn't that Emma didn't want to meet Regina, it was simply that their history together was complicated, tainted with things no one should know or lest their careers go down the drain in the very public eye that they had been born into.

Taking a seat in their designated area, Emma released her death grip from Killian and breathed easy. She wouldn't have to think about Regina for the next two or so hours. Her focus would be on the crowd, their reactions to her overly advertised movie, and then the blonde would return to her upscale apartment and avoid Regina like she had been for the past ten years. What was the woman doing back in town anyways?

The lights dimmed, snacks being handed out to which she refused, and a small beverage of flavoured water in her hand to help ease the sudden knot in her stomach, Emma watched the blank screen come to life with colourful images.

The expectation for the movie to do well was so high, that Emma swore she would be paying out of her own pocket if it flopped, and she couldn't _\- wouldn't_ handle another big budget picture going down the drain with reviews that suggested the role was a bad fit. She didn't have these problems when Regina was around, in fact, all her movies had been hits, and that was because each script had been chosen carefully, every role dissected until she had it down to the nines.

Groaning her complaint about Regina having to watch something subpar, Emma glowered her way through the entire movie, noting the soft whispers of the audience and the distracted crinkle of wrappers. There were mummers of laughter at the right places, and grunts of sympathy at the action scenes, but it wasn't enough, it was almost always never enough these days. And with her current record of _eh, it was okay_ , to _what the hell am I watching_ , Emma needed help, and fast.

Escaping the theatre with a victory of avoiding Regina, the press, and her manager, Emma made it home to flop on her couch. For a high ranking celebrity and sexiest woman alive as voted by _blah blah_ 2015, Emma Swan was a total… _human_ , and that was a feeling she missed with the way Hollywood had turned her into an animal.

Her thoughts immediately gravitated toward Regina, how the first few months of her fame had been handled, how they managed it together and still left each other feeling fulfilled, the magic in her new celebrity status staying fresh. Now all Emma wanted to do was crawl into a hole where those camera flashes wouldn't reach her. The whole point of becoming an actress was washed away with an invasion of privacy, an arrangement that broke her in half, and an unbalance with herself as soon as she stupidly agreed.

The habitual nightly routine finally moved her from the couch, heels thrown in the corner of the room and the tight but elegant red knee length dress peeled off her body to be tossed in the laundry. One more thing to scorn celebrity status for, was that her looks had to be kept impeccable, she couldn't miss a night of brushing her teeth, or removing her makeup. There were no hangovers and late nights, only face packs, trips to the dentist, and the irritating attention of a team her manager hired to make sure she still looked as fresh as she did ten years ago. Men could age in the industry, but not women, not when their highest selling point was to be a _sex object._

Rolling her eyes in the mirror once her mask was removed and her body cleansed with a refreshing shower, Emma put aside those thoughts of rebellion, and instead padded over to her too large bed in order to get much needed sleep before the reviews came in the next morning.

(x)(x)(x)

" _Proved to be… best performance of Killian Jones… Emma Swan… dull sidekick"_

"… _shallow, and not quite right… another bad fit for Emma Swan"_

She continued to read them all, stacks of magazines and newspapers littered across her glass breakfast table, omelette being butchered to death whilst her gaze flickered between the glossy pages and view of the city below.

It wasn't fair, not when she put her whole soul into the role, thinking that a badass spy with a hint of equality and feminism would help boost her moral image; but spread across twitter were insults at how skimpy her outfits were, or how lame her scenes seemed to be. She couldn't help that her solo action shots had been edited out, that her character's dialogue had been snipped off so that instead of looking like an independent woman, Jackie Richardson had ended up looking more like a damsel in distress that couldn't think for herself.

Forking a piece of omelette into her mouth, Emma chewed thoughtfully, knowing that the phone which had been going off the hook would either be producers who, like after every bad movie, would call to say that they would be doing their films she was pre-booked for with another actress, or it was her manager screaming at her about the reputation he had lost by her bad performance. _Why don't you do a series or something?_ He would beg, and Emma would respond that she wasn't made for the silver screen.

There was without a doubt, the fact that Emma Swan, once a big heroine, was now drowning in her own failures. It didn't help that she was lonely without any support structure, that her family was no where to be found, or didn't want to be, and her life spent searching for them had hit dead end after dead end.

It was Regina who was her saving grace, and the woman didn't even know it until their last few days together.

(x)(x)(x)

It was a month after her movie was released, still running due to the countless teenage girls flocking to the cinema to catch a glimpse of Killian; not that she could blame them, he was a pretty handsome guy, and they did make a good couple aesthetically, but her heart would never belong to another, not when the level of connection she experienced with Regina couldn't be matched.

Alone in the back booth of some fancy coffee shop, Emma picked up the slightly worn pages of her first script. Logically thinking, she had decided to go through all her old roles, find what made them tick, and then see if anything else offered to her caught her eye. It was one of the methods of pulling her life together that Emma had employed without seeking help of the woman she knew to still be in town.

It was official then, Regina was back in the business and getting clawed at by producers to pull and push her to their projects for her expertise. Regina was the best- _is_ the best, and Emma had the fortune of falling under her wing once upon a time. It was both the most terrifying experience of her life, and wildly refreshing to have her feel more alive than she had been since she could remember.

Turning the pages of the slightly yellowed script with care, the blonde took a sip of her iced tea and studied the pencilled in notes made by Regina's hand. They were elegant, precise, and covered almost every free space of the page. Even now, if anyone pointed to a spot, Emma could tell exactly what was written there, how it formed part of the role, how it shaped her career from a lifeless blob into something remarkable, and then _ugly_.

**DRAW FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES**

Capital letters, underlined twice, a bit of a hard press into the page so that the ribbed edges were felt on the next one, Emma chuckled at the memory of Regina pacing up and down in the living room, heels clicking against the wooden floors, pencil held between her two fingers as her hands moved wildly, hair swished back and forth to frame her face…

" _There is no such thing as acting" Emma raised her eyebrows, as if to ask seriously? But thought better of the retort and pulled her legs up to the couch, a clean copy of the script on her lap whilst Regina butchered the one they photocopied._

" _Everything we do or say is an adaptation, a small piece of ourselves that come out in the character. We_ _behave and react the way we think the character should react, the way_ _ **we**_ _would in such situations. If you're not the character, if it feels unnatural, then its not you" Pursed lips turned toward Emma, a huff of complaint slipping past those lips "Are you listening?"_

" _Yeah, I'm listening" Emma said lamely, hands coming up to cover a yawn._

" _Emma, the first movie sets the tone for your entire career, I can't have you sleepwalking your way through it. I want you to be aware, to draw from your own experiences"_

" _My experiences are nothing but shitty foster homes and time on the street, I don't think anyone wants to see that on the big screen"_

_Sitting down beside Emma, Regina's jaw clenched angrily. There was always tense silence when Emma brought up her past, the both of them choosing to see that aspect of her life as non-existent, even if sometimes Emma had nightmares, and Regina locked herself in the bathroom to gather her wits about herself, they were friends, they were working through it._

" _Everyone will want to see you. You have so much potential. If you just stop for a moment, take this seriously, I guarantee you…" Her hand rested on Emma's, thumb stroking back and forth along the smooth skin found there "People are going to remember your name. You will_ _ **never**_ _be alone again"_

How she wished those words were true. How she wished that things _had just…_

A long groan into her hands and Emma scrubbed at her makeup free face, suddenly feeling suffocated. She didn't know why she had taken the script out, why she had looked at it like the promise hadn't been broken.

Stuffing the pages into her bag, the blonde finished off her iced tea and let out a mummer of thanks to whoever was listening that she didn't have fans approaching her, asking questions and taking photographs. For one, she looked like shit, and she was sure as soon as someone asked her something, she would burst into tears for no apparent reason. No, better make a quick exit, and then try to find a way to salvage her career better than she did her personal life.

"Emma?" _Did that luck run out so quickly?_

Whipping her head around to a table nearby, hair falling from her messy bun, Emma rolled her eyes at whoever she thanked, giving them a silent _fuck you_ behind her black goggles. If she didn't want to deal with fans before - bring a whole horde of them; _anything_ was better than having to make polite conversation with the producer of her last film, entertaining none other than _Regina_. Fuck.

"Hi" It was as much as she could say without actively saying anyone's name, or more importantly addressing Regina directly.

"Take a seat, we're just discussing this new script, we would love your opinion on it" The producer smiled warmly, no doubt giving her the stink eye for being such a sucky heroine. She couldn't even drag in the hormone raged boys to ogle her this time, no doubt costing him too much money to politely invite her for a sit down without ulterior motive.

"No thank you" Emma refused, pushing her sunglasses up her head, messing her already messy bun further "I just got back from the gym, the shower is calling" Years of acting had made her a good liar, made her know where to look, how to stand… it also made her want to crumble in the middle of the cafe and put her head on Regina's lap begging for a reprieve from the career the brunette woman had set her down.

A nod to both patrons and Emma sprinted faster than she ever had out into the street and into her car. It was too painful to have her heart race like she was young all over again just because she could smell Regina from where she stood – something musky and sweet, something very expensive.

A few seconds to catch her breath in the car, and she just about turned the ignition when she felt the passenger door open, a body slide in, and terror freeze her veins.

The pepper spray key ring was held up, finger on the nob to _destroy_ whoever dare be so bold enough to get into her car. There had been worse cases, fame meaning more than heartfelt tweets and fan mail; there had been stalkers, crazy gifts, and numerous attempts to get too close for comfort. But the person looking at her with raised eyebrows, pursed lips and an elbow on the open window was far worse than a serial killer. At least the murderer would… you know, _murder her_ , save her from the wretched life she was living, but no, it was a blast from her past, one that looked as if she owned Emma (and in a way she did), owned the car, and simply gestured to the road.

"So are you going to drive or shall I have this conversation with you within earshot of onlookers?"

God she hated that woman, hated how she commanded everything, how she pushed together pieces that were falling apart, and how damn kissable her lips looked with that new shade of red.

Jamming her keys back in the ignition, Emma started the yellow car and drove down the street, her eyes glancing over to Regina to check that this wasn't some sort of dream, that her mind hadn't conjured an image of her ex-lover to taunt her further.

"Eyes on the road" Emma's eyes immediately snapped back to the road, fingers clutching the steering wheel a little too tightly. Regina wasn't even looking at her and yet she knew, she always knew.

"Why are you back in town?" She surprised herself with the question, but found that the answer was one she needed, and needless to say, it was a good starting point.

"For work" Was the cryptic answer, and Emma had half the mind to scream.

"You're in my car. Why?" The question tasted bitter on her tongue, left her feeling angry at the fact that Regina still had a hold on her after all these years. To think their relationship had started almost the same way Regina was trying to forge one now: with sudden force.

Regina had pushed her way into the blonde's life at the tender age of sixteen, a sudden pause, turn, _she'll do lovely_ , and then a handing over of a crisp card that had Emma stare at the obviously insane woman walking the streets with those heels.

She had been a runaway back then, a nobody that had escaped from a particularly bad home, a few dollars in her pocket and the clothes on her back was all she had, and then this woman, this stupidly brave woman had crossed the street, saw Emma trying to lift a little something from the food cart that didn't look very sanitary, and that was that. Regina had decided that Emma would be her new project, a girl with potential and talent waiting to be unlocked.

Everyone knew who Regina Mills was. Everyone either hated her, wanted to be her, fuck her, or all three. Emma however, wasn't particularly interested in anything more than a hot meal, trying to stay away from anyone who might take her back to the orphanage, and turn eighteen as fast as possible so that she could stand on her own two feet and stop looking over her shoulder every few seconds.

Casting Director, Regina Mills on the other hand, saw a girl who would make it big with the life experience she had gained, a perfect fit for a role she had been tasked with filling, someone new, someone unknown and cheap. Regina knew that Emma wouldn't mind the slight scrape of the usual fee, as long as she had a job that would boost her career, and Regina was there to make it happen, just as she had done countless others before the blonde girl.

Days of convincing Emma finally paid off when the girl auditioned in ill fitting clothes, a squeaky voice, and general uncomfortableness that had Regina squirm. It had taken considerable training on her part to get Emma almost perfect for the next audition, taking her on permanently as a mentor, keeping her healthy and fed in the too large apartment that was thereafter filled with acting books and various scripts from which Emma read from.

Everything would have been fine, everything would have been perfect had Regina just…

"I wanted to talk to you" Regina clipped, shaking her head from the memory of them together, of her stupidity when it came to Emma's maturity.

"You're not doing a whole hell of talking. In fact you're just sitting there, like a ghost or something"

"You haven't changed have you?" Turning to regard Emma almost wistfully, Regina reached across the console to gently squeeze the blonde's arm, having the other woman jerk away just as quickly.

Emma wasn't ready for that type of familiarity just yet, not after everything they've been through, not when it had been almost ten years apart, and Regina acting as if nothing had changed was just downright insulting.

Turning into her building's undercover parking lot, Emma switched off the ignition and turned to face Regina, the interior of the car barely lit up by the florescent lights scattered sparsely across the lot.

"Now tell me what you're doing here, why you ambushed me, and what you want from me"

Licking her lips nervously, Regina tucked a piece of hair behind her ears, eyes darting across the dashboard but not making contact with Emma. She wanted Emma back, she wanted what they had even if it was complicated and messy. There was nothing more she needed right now than to feel whole again, but that wasn't the reason why she was back in town, it wasn't the whole truth as to why she even bothered to make contact with Emma. God knows had she been acting on her own free will, Regina would have stayed far away as possible.

"Your manager called" The brunette whispered, looking briefly at Emma before taking a deep breath. This was about professionalism, no longer sticky guilty feelings and the sore touch of her ex-lover.

"Your career is going down the drain, your roles are not a good fit, and you need help. He remembered the last time I was in your life, you were blooming. And don't say it was because you were young. You were practically a child… now you're a woman, you've grown up in this industry and it's trying to kick you out. I'm here to help you kick back"

"Go to hell" The answer was almost so sudden, Regina jerked back with whiplash. She had been so passionate, delivered everything with clarity, but Emma couldn't see past her rage could she?

"And then what, Emma?" she taunted, following the actress out of the car, slamming the door on the Volkswagen Bug, the latest model of course "Eat through your savings and marry some co-actor to get an income? Do you really want to end your career with a sting of flops at the ripe age of twenty seven?"

Regina's voice boomed in the car park, Emma's shoulders tensing under the baggy shirt she wore, looking dishevelled but still so beautiful. If only Regina had been brave enough back then, if only she hadn't given into the one thing she swore she would never do with the girl.

"Or maybe I'll become a casting director and pick up helpless girls from the side of the road and fuck them for their talent before tossing them aside to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts" If Regina thought the earlier rejection stung, this one was like getting burnt in boiling oil and then tossed into a freezer with the way Emma brushed past her.

Closing her eyes against the guilt that threatened to have her spill the contents of her stomach on the rough tar, Regina held her breath for five beats and then exhaled slowly. Being one of the best casting directors with a record for making stars had her one of the most sought out people in the industry, but with it came the territory, and the rumours about her that were very true.

If one had talent, if they impressed Regina, had her lust after the things she herself couldn't do, then she took them to bed, ravished them before they left her nest, and without fail, they would bloom. It wasn't so much that she had slept with them that had them succeed- Regina only chose the best, that was what had them fly; the fucking bit was just for her benefit, to sate her jealousy at having no talent whatsoever besides making another famous with her name.

She only took them to bed _once_ , but Emma had needed her, had nowhere else to go, and she was so young. The blonde showed promise way before any of her other clients, and so one drunken evening, Regina couldn't help herself. With Emma's obvious crush, it wasn't hard to bring pleasure to a girl twenty years her junior- _a minor_. That thought had haunted her ever since, even if like an idiot in love, she had kept doing it, kept promising Emma the world and pulling her between the sheets until her first big break came. Thereafter the rumours spread, because she was _Regina's girl_ , they all had a taste of the casting director, and this one was so young, only seventeen, surely she must have been bedded in order to get famous so quickly.

They both agreed, they both sat down and _agreed_ that they wouldn't tell a soul, that it would destroy both their careers if they stayed together, even if whispered _I love you's_ were pressed into heated skin with soft kisses and final goodbyes.

It wasn't fair then, that Emma was taking everything out on her, not when… not when they had agreed. But it was her fault, it was her fault for touching the blonde in the first place.

"You need me" Spoken around the lump in her throat, Regina looked up to Emma with wet eyes, a plea in them that no one had seen before.

"I have always needed you. That's what you never understood" Back facing Regina and finger jamming the elevator button, Emma was assaulted with a hand to her arm, pulling her to face the dark haired woman with force.

"I loved you, but it wasn't our time. You agreed to separate, you said yes. Don't you dare put this all on me!" Their noses touched, Regina's fingers fisting in Emma's shirt even if inside she was breaking a little. No matter that Emma was now a big star, she would always to Regina be that girl who looked up to her, watching her make dinner and reading lines. Emma would always be her love, the only one to stick, the only one to grace her bed time after time no matter her attempts to stop. She was a drug that Regina craved, if only time had been on her side.

" _Loved?_ " A knee to the gut, a stab to the heart. Damn it hurt.

Emma pushed Regina back, keeping her at a distance because, God, she couldn't take anymore, not when it felt as if her lungs were burning, eyes watering, and heart thumping too fast to be natural. The elevator pinged and Emma stumbled inside, eyes watching the casting director as the doors refused to close, forcing the moment to prolong, to have them crumble beneath the weight of the past that was now affecting the future.

"Stop looking at me like that" Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair, trying to push the loose strands back away from her face "Come up for a drink, and then I can call my manager and yell at him like all other professionals"

Offering the other woman a small smile, Regina stepped into the elevator, the doors closing behind her as if they were specifically waiting for her to get in - or she was simply standing too close to the sensor for the doors to actually close. _Clever woman_.

Ten years of pent up feelings were washed down the drain. It was so simple, Emma thought, looking beside her at the love of her life, a woman she had practically melted into when they first touched, and now… they were employer and employee, trying to pull Emma from the gutter without thinking back to something that had already been discussed. Not that it wouldn't come up, that they were not hurting, but because they had been in the business of lying so much, they could do it to themselves and not know the difference.

(x)(x)(x)

Unlike the many movies she had acted in, nothing untoward had happened when they arrived at her apartment; in fact, everything was so civil, Emma was sure her teeth were going to rot out.

Honestly, Emma had expected Regina to rip her clothes off as soon as they entered the threshold of the spacious apartment, but all she did was remove her coat, get a little relaxed and then take a few tentative steps inside where Emma offered her a drink, and then excused herself to hyperventilate in the bathroom under a hot spray of _oh fuck_ , and _shit really happens._

Once dressed in comfy jeggings and tank top, hair wet and sticking to her shoulders, the actress cracked out all the scripts she could find of her previous projects at Regina's bequest, and then went to shout obscenities down the phone to her manager who she fired a few times, then called again to re-hire because… poor guy actually did his damn job.

"These are all crap" Came the bark from the next room, making Emma jump out of her skin.

Turning to face the commotion, Emma was knocked back by the vision of Regina with her legs crossed underneath her, heels discarded haphazardly on the floor, glasses perched on her nose, and sleeved rolled up to her elbows as she inspected the scripts, pencil markings lining each and every one of them. Had Emma been in a more secure state of mind, she might've yelled about ruining her souvenirs.

"None of these characters connect to you as a person, all of them are shallow, well, except for this one" Watching the script tossed aside, Emma pushed up from the doorway and stared down at the title: _Carnival of ire_. It was about a young woman who had gotten lost in a carnival, chased there by a group of boys out to get her for whatever reason, and the entire movie was about her revealing certain things about herself as she visited different attractions. It was one with a low budget, but she remembered it being mildly successful.

"Maybe I'm just not good enough to play the new trend of characters that are being written, have you ever thought about that?" Flopping down onto the couch, Emma ran her fingers through her wet hair and sighed, knowing she would have to dry it out and then add in product.

"Don't you **dare** say that" The tone of voice was low, menacing as if Regina would launch herself across the couch and rip Emma's throat out for even uttering those words. "I only chose the _best_ , and you Emma Swan was the best of the best. I will not let you drag yourself through the mud because you've given up on life. _Look at you_ " Gesturing the blonde, Regina tossed the rest of the scripts on the table and stood, towering over Emma despite not wearing her heels.

Emma could only roll her eyes, push up from the sofa and disappear into her room where the sound of the hair dryer drowned out whatever else Regina was supposed to say.

(x)(x)(x)

"Where's your new script?"

"I don't have one" Answering grumpily, Emma crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to converse properly with Regina despite choosing the venue of her favourite ice cream parlour.

A huge sun hat hid her face, blocking whatever UV rays might be harmful for her delicate skin, and black sunglasses were perched on her nose with thick enough lenses to use as a mirror. Blonde hair pulled into a braid and wearing a sundress with pretty sandals, Emma fit in perfectly with the crowd. Regina on the other hand…

A blazer covering a too red shirt, silk obviously, stiletto red pumps, black slacks and that irritating shade of red lipstick that Emma desperately wanted to smudge. In fact, Emma wanted to run her fingers through Regina's neatly styled hair, pull out all the curls she knew were natural, and then rip apart her clothes in both frustrated tension and a building anger she had suppressed years ago.

"What do you mean you have no new script? I thought you were booked for the next three years!"

Emma could only sigh, run her hands down her face and groan at how insistent Regina seemed no matter her attempts to drive the casting director away. Already it had been a week, and Emma had stood Regina up, iced her out, refused to cooperate, and that one time when she cried herself to sleep, insulted the other woman where it should have hurt, but _nothing._ Regina was still there like some sort of mountain suddenly dropped onto her house. Whatever Regina was atoning for, she was most certainly doing it thoroughly.

"They all cancelled" The blonde supplied, removing her sunglasses to look her ' _m_ _entor_ ' in the eyes. "I told you, I'm a lost cause. You put too much on me, Mills, took me as your last project, thought you would retire at forty, and here you are, trying to save me six years past that benchmark."

A slam of a hand on the table had Emma jerk back, but Regina's low and menacing tone was entrancing in its own way "I'm tired of going through this with you. You are good enough, you have _always_ been good enough. You were good enough to get taken in by me, you were good enough to grace my bed, you were better than others to stay there, and now you're going to rise above this, and start from the bottom if you have to. I think its time we start putting you in auditions, maybe you will learn to be **humble** " Pushing away from the table, Regina packed up her stuff and left, just like that, leaving a gaping Emma behind with an ach between her legs she didn't know how to get rid of.

(x)(x)(x)

Three auditions later, done all in the quiet without Regina's help, a woman who had stayed in town despite Emma refusing to apologise, the actress knew that everything was a bust if she didn't get her shit together.

For once since her last movie almost two months ago, Emma actually went to the gym, burning her frustration with weights and cardio that had her sleep like a baby through exhaustion. Once her physical health was up to check, her mental health improved too. There was nothing better than looking at your figure in the mirror and noticing the faint lines of a six pack beginning to form, one she always had before her career began to flop.

She was getting into shape, looking through her old scripts, and then thinking back to Regina and what she would say in the face of the character she was auditioning for, only it wasn't as good as the real thing. Regina could get so passionate, talk so fast and move so quickly, Emma would laugh and ask her to slow down, or reach up to pull the woman into a bruising kiss. There was none of that now, but Emma desperately wanted it again.

There was no denying that there would be backlash, questions of how two women with such a vast age difference could manage a relationship together, but the news would fade away, newspapers would print something else, and she could have Regina, all of her, in the way she had had always dreamed.

Knocking lightly on the hotel room door – _what the actual hell, was this where Regina had been staying this entire time? Emma actually felt a little faint at the thought of the bill_ – Emma waited with her hands in her pockets of her skinny jeans, the soft leather jacket squeaking against her sides as she pulled her shoulders together and then released. She tired to dress casually and as normally as possible, but one of the guards had noticed her, and she gave him an autograph in order to keep quiet about her whereabouts until she left. No doubt the headlines of **ACTRESS ENTERS HOTEL AND EMERGES SEVERAL HOURS LATER** would be a sell out.

A few beats passed and Regina finally pulled open the door, her hair pinned back in a claw and glasses sitting on her nose with a pencil tucked in her ear. It was such a normal look for the woman who would rather get down to the details than give lame orders that Emma nearly swayed a little from the familiarity of it all.

"I'm sorry" Emma blurted, running her fingers through her hair to push it out of her face. A couple walked past staring at her, trying to place her from somewhere, but before they could turn back around and demand a photograph, or worse, conversation, Regina pulled the blonde inside the room and gestured to the nearby couch.

"That's all I wanted to hear. Now, are you ready to work?"

"I didn't finish!" Pausing her task of pouring them both drinks, always so presumptuous, Regina turned to give Emma her full undivided attention.

"You can't come back after ten years and ignore our past. It was a large part of who I was, as an actress, as a woman, as a lover, and this sudden reappearance, which I'm still not convinced is real, is really difficult to take at face value." Slapping her palms on her thighs, Emma rubbed them free of the sweat that had gathered there and sighed dramatically into the room littered with scripts and DVD's of her earlier projects.

"I can't do this with you again, I can't start at the beginning. Are you getting me?" Looking at Regina for confirmation of what she'd just spilled, the brunette only stood with her hands crossed over her torso and conflicted eyes staring holes into Emma.

How could Emma ask to, _what?_ Pick things up again? Argue over the same futile points that would get them nowhere? They were two very stubborn women who held high grounds in their careers, and any sort of relationship with each other, even after all these years, would still bring up questions of whether or not there had been any inkling of romance whilst Emma lived under Regina's roof, sharing her bed, and keeping her company through endless days of auditioning and coming up blank. If anything, it felt as if they were starting all over again, but not in the way that Emma clearly wanted.

"I don't think you understand, Emma. We agreed to the conditions, we agreed that your career-"

"I don't have a career anymore! You quit ages ago, that leaves us completely out of the business! I don't want to be a celebrity, I don't want fame and a lack of privacy. What I want, what I _always_ wanted was a house in the suburbs, enough food to go around three times, an upper middle class lifestyle with one holiday overseas a year, a wife, a child! I wanted **you** , dammit!"

Stunned, Regina's mouth moved but no words came out. She had thought about those desires, one Emma had jokingly told her about all those years ago, but both of them had laughed it off, and Regina was so blindsided by Emma's talent, everything else was non-existent.

"I'm too old for you" Was all she could whisper, age difference between them the only thing she could reasonably latch onto without sounding as if she was grasping for straws to keep the relationship professional. "I won't… I can't give you a child, that lifestyle"

"I can carry, we can adopt, we can own a dog and call it child for all I care" Pacing up and down the small space in front of Regina, Emma ran her fingers through her hair and tried to calm herself down. She was angry for no reason, but there was _every_ reason. It had built up over the last ten years and now all Emma could do was let it out in one steady stream. "Your age has nothing to do with this, it's just a word. An ugly thing people try to justify when all it means is experience."

Stopping to stare at Regina, the blonde approached her slowly, taking her hands out from the human pretzel she had become to hold the brunette's fingers lightly between her own "Your age is a part of your charm, and I'm not asking for everything at once, but I've never stopped loving you, and I will continue to do so until my dying breath. You want to work on my career, make me famous again to hold your name in high regard? Fine, but I'm not working with you if you ignore what's going on in here" Pointing gently to Regina's chest, poking the bone above her heart, Emma leaned forward to press a kiss to the woman's forehead, their hands still intertwined.

(x)(x)(x)

She hadn't seen Regina for a few weeks since she left the hotel room, tears streaming down her cheeks with the overwhelming sense of release. Regina had said nothing to her demands, only stood still, and although Emma could see she was trying to form a coherent sentence, the actress was not going to wait around for a rejection she knew was coming.

It was a good thing then that Emma left her heart in that hotel room, because she was never getting it back, and with her emotions out of the way, she could finally focus on the career she had been neglecting. Her savings could only keep up her lifestyle for so long before she had to do another project, and this time, Emma decided to start small.

With a few advertisements for hair products and makeup, Emma was getting back on track again. Her contracts moved from getting long production movies, to being asked to walk the runway as the showstopper with a famous designer, making her own scent to add to a collection of celebrity perfumes under a good brand, and a few more magazine photoshoots that highlighted her banging body. She was moving up, becoming recognisable again, and Regina wasn't there to see it happen.

Eventually, after a lifestyle episode on her home and its design, Emma had been seen enough times in the public eye to be offered scripts again, to be wanted as a heroine knowing that people would flock to her movies if their buying habits of her fragrance and various other products were taken into account. There were scripts that blew her mind, others that looked like a soft porno, and a few series she gravitated towards despite not wanting to be tied down to one thing for the next however many years. She didn't want to be Emma Swan, that girl that plays that chick from that show; she wanted to be more than that.

A ring of the doorbell had her jerk away from the script of the series as if burned, and then quickly push it underneath the others as if to hide it from any prying eyes- the _embarrassment_ if anyone did!

"Coming!" Yanking the door open in a flustered state, Emma pushed her curls over her shoulder and leaned against the doorframe when she saw who was on the other side.

Regina, dressed impeccably as always, looked stifling, suffocated and barely able to do more than simply stare at Emma's legs that went on forever in those shorts. The perks of central heating had her lounge around in skimpy clothing and enjoy the carefully controlled temperature whilst sipping an ice cold margarita.

"Look whose still alive" Inside, Emma was breaking, shattering into a million pieces at the mere idea that Regina was standing on her doorstep, ogling her like a teenage boy, but experience in her field had her push those emotions away and instead hone in on subtle arrogance that forced a smirk onto her face.

"I always know when you're acting." And that was that then, Regina pushing her way into the apartment and taking off her coat, looking as comfortable as ever in the house of a woman who had confessed her undying love a few weeks ago. Between the two of them, Regina was certainly the better actress despite her job description.

"What do you want from me then? To break down crying and act relieved that you've decided to grace me with your presence? I'm not so cheap"

The retort about just _how_ cheap Emma had once been was held back with a bite to her tongue, but Regina couldn't help the glare she sent the blonde's way.

"I see your career is picking up again. Maybe you didn't need me at all" Crossing her arms over her chest at the sight of various scripts stacked on the coffee table, Regina itched to read a few, to provide her insight and then… take Emma on the couch for being exactly as smart as she predicted.

"Trying to prove to you that I didn't need you actually brought in business" _I do need you_. "What will you have to drink?" Cocking her head in question to whether Regina would like a warm or cold beverage, Emma wanted to pull her hair out in frustration at how cordial they were being. It was an old Hollywood trick that had people conceal their emotions to make peace between rivals, to put up an air of nicety, when all it did was look fake and forced.

"Whatever you're having" Cordial again. God, all Emma wanted to do was shake Regina and ask her where she was in the last few weeks, why she ran away, and why she was back as if nothing had happened. Everything was screaming déjà vu- wasn't this the same thing that had happened a couple months ago when Regina had waltzed back into town?

Pouring a hard apple cider, Emma gulped most of her drink down before passing Regina hers, the alcohol loosening her up a little so that the politeness between them fell away too.

"Mind telling me why you're here? I thought you were done, _gone…_ "

"I never said that" Regina murmured, looking down into her glass as if it were the most interesting thing she had seen her entire life. "I just needed time to think"

"Get enough? Or do you want a couple more weeks? Months, why don't you take another decade?" If Emma could separate herself in two, she would have slapped herself. Whilst she was hurt, there was no need to be rude, to take out everything on Regina when she had come back, even if it was for a proper goodbye.

"I'm sorry" Wringing her hands together, Emma set her glass down and took Regina's hands instead, noting the clenched jaw and stormy eyes "I am so sorry." She may be a celebrity with the best medical care, countless therapy sessions under her belt to remove the thought processes of being abandoned and tossed from one foster home to another, but it was a knee jerk reaction to push things away before they could do the same to her. Regina had been there for her once, she had let herself open up, and now that there seemed a possibility for round two of _you're not good enough_ , Emma was already on the defensive.

"Get your career in order, Emma. I'm only going to make your new growth harder to get off the ground" Turning away to leave, the ring she had purchased after careful thought digging into her hip, Regina realised that happiness wasn't meant for her, not if she could provide Emma an opportunity to achieve everything she never could on her own.

"I'm thinking of doing television" Emma blurted out, desperate for Regina to stay, to find out her real thoughts, because that didn't look like the determined woman who walked in.

Setting Regina's glass that had been transferred into her hands next to her own empty one, Emma picked up the script for the series and pressed it into Regina's hands.

" _What?!_ " Aghast, Regina flipped through the sci-fi script, widened eyes, flicking from Emma to the written pages and then back to Emma again. "Silver screen? You'll be stuck doing one character for the rest of the show's existence, and if it doesn't kick off, you're going to have to move. You won't be considered versatile, you'll… you'll get bored! There _has_ to be something else…" There was the passion Emma had been hoping to get out from her ex-lover, make her move forward into the house, let her sit upon the sofa and pull her sleeves up to her elbows as she sifted through the rest of the scripts, most of them being thrown aside.

"I'll have a stable home life, one location. I can do conventions for extra cash, we can travel in the season break, and if I have to move, then I move. Who's to say I won't do a movie during breaks?" Slipping Regina into the vision of her future had been so easy, but what was better, was that Regina had yet to correct her, or call her out on it. In fact, Regina was so engrossed in the mere idea of Emma _committing_ to one project, that she was stunned.

"You can't possibly be serious" was whispered softly, the sound disbelieving as Regina looked to Emma who slid in next to her on the loveseat "What will you do with all your free time? Your talent to play multiple roles?"

She could blame it on the alcohol, the buzzing in her veins, and the mere proximity of Regina, but the only thing she answered with was a bruising kiss, one that was surprisingly answered in kind from the brunette who leaned in without hesitance.

She had talents in other areas, a few things she picked up on during the ten years they had been separated, and so what if she had a little extra time on her hands? Would that be the worst thing in the world, especially if she got to spend it with Regina?

Cupping the brunette's cheek when they parted, chests heaving despite the kiss being closed lipped and almost too tender, Emma almost jerked back in embarrassment over her sudden uncalled for reaction, one that hadn't been earned, not with the way things had been going between them recently. But a touch to her wrist had her look up to sparkling brown eyes, a question in them when Emma finally did pull back to give them both space.

"I'm sorry" The blonde said automatically. She had been saying it so much around Regina, it was second nature now.

"For what?" Staring straight ahead instead of meeting Emma's eyes, Regina cleared her throat and shifted in her seat, the engagement ring encased in a black box falling out of her pocket to roll out of sight unnoticed.

"That life isn't a movie" Wringing her hands together, Emma stood from her perch, the emotion already too much for her to handle, the pain from loving Regina for so many years already wearing her down to a pathetic mess of a celebrity. She was only lucky that her mind hadn't gravitated toward addictions to get her through the messy complicated thoughts in her head.

A sarcastic chuckle and Regina looked up to Emma, a shake of her head prompting Emma to continue, to expand on the phrase she had heard so many times before.

"We have the perfect plot" Emma whispered, crossing her arms over her chest, then uncrossing it because the stance was too much like Regina, it felt awkward, an out of skin experience. So instead, Emma sat back down, her knees knocking into the brunette's as she explained, disbelief etched on her features "You and me, ten years between us, a complicated past, a bit of pain, a struggle to get back together… but it doesn't fit, it never has. Look at us" gesturing to them, Emma threw her hands in the air and let them slap her thighs on the way down, causing Regina to wince.

"There hasn't been one romantic moment between us. I've treated you so badly, yet you take this as part of your job, and now… I'm ruining this moment too aren't I?"

Shaking her head, Regina moved closer to Emma, grasping her chin so that their eyes locked, an understanding flowing between them in the silence.

"This, us" The casting director whispered, her voice low, velvety in its execution "we were not made for candied romance scenes, or sensual overdone sex. This is who we are, right here. We're raw and painful, we're stubborn and think of each other before ourselves. There isn't anyone out there whose perfect Emma, our story certainly hasn't been, not even with the perfect plot." Pausing to swallow down the lump in her throat, Regina sighed in the space between them and debated moving away, retreat like she always did when her emotions were exposed and she was made vulnerable, but, she reminded herself, it was just her and Emma, no one else.

"I came here today, because I wanted to tell you, that even if our story is raw and bruised, _you_ are perfect for _me_. We can make our own happy ending, yes?"

Stunned, Emma choked back a sob. No one had told her she was perfect, that she was enough, that her story was aligned with theirs. She had been called beautiful, hot, a nice piece of ass, but nothing so heartfelt, nothing like this from someone who knew her before fame was attached to her identity.

Nodding, because that was all she could do, Emma allowed herself to be pulled into an embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks as a kiss was pressed to her hair, promises made that Emma didn't hear.

Soon, those sobs turned into peels of laughter, the thought that had it been a movie, they would be sprawled out on the couch having hot makeup sex, too hilarious to hold in any longer. Regina with an adorably confused expression on her face smoothed out into a smile once she saw Emma wipe away her tears and pull her in for a kiss, one that wasn't very successful with the way Emma kept smiling into it, kept bumping her nose against Regina's in a glee she had never experienced before.

(x)(x)(x)

"With emotion Emma!" Regina snapped for the third time that day, script in hand, and a glare on those beautiful features.

Taking it from the top, Emma held a hand to where the gunshot would be and let her voice ease into a tremor "No… you can't take him… I'll kill you! I'll find y-" and for the third time since she read that line, Emma burst into laughter again.

"I'm sorry, but-" she wiped a tear from under her lashes " _I'll kill you_ is fine, but then all these other lines? A whole monologue whilst she's down? How long is she supposed to be alive for? Could someone not have called the ambulance?"

Not amused, Regina rubbed her temples and tossed the script on the desk in front of her, walking out of the room with an irritated sigh. It had been three weeks since they had agreed to begin sort of dating again, and whilst that was a nice sentiment, there hadn't been any attempts to further their relationship beyond the _: I like you, now what?_ Stage. Regina was frustrated in more ways than one, and she still couldn't find the ring she swore she purchased in a state of vulnerability.

Following her into the next room, Emma stood at a distance and observed the way Regina's shoulders slouched, how her head seemed to be constantly throbbing, and the serious increase of alcohol intake. It was one of those days where Emma wished she had more experience in relationships to sooth her kind-of-girlfriend. Maybe that was it? At twenty seven, Emma was alright with what they had, the casual companionship that had slipped back into work mode with only a sparse few kisses that were very chaste during the three weeks they had been around each other, but with the twenty year age gap, maybe Regina needed something a little secure… it would explain the black velvet box she found on the floor after Regina left, the most beautiful ring she had ever seen inside.

Had Regina wanted it back for someone else, she would have asked, right?

"I hate the script" Emma said slowly, hoping to get a rise out of the brunette, have that passion back, but all Regina did was shrug.

Frowning, the blonde approached the casting director slowly, tentatively as if she were a wild animal, and slid her arms around Regina's waist, holding onto her gently.

A sigh indicated that she was allowed to continue the hold, to slip into the role of lover rather than project. Pressing a kiss to Regina's hair, Emma rubbed up and down her arms, trying to find a way to cheer the brunette up again, to have her back to her old self that Emma had fallen in love with. Three seconds was all it took for the actress to smile, step away and clear her throat to begin her plan.

"I have something important to discuss with you regarding my career" Steeling her gaze, Emma watched as Regina turned around, hands crossed over her torso and eyes a calculating hue of _what are you up to?_

"Then talk"

"At dinner tonight, which _you_ are taking me out to, because…" She struggled to come up with a reason, guiding Regina to the door and shoving her coat in her hands.

"Because?" Regina prompted, both eyebrows raised at the sudden dismissal.

Unable to provide a proper excuse, Emma acted on instinct and pushed Regina up against the front door, her lips claiming the brunette's in a passionate dance they had not been able to tango with since before their separation. Once the kiss became heated enough, making it hard for even Emma to remove herself from the tangle of Regina's fingers in her hair, the blonde stepped back and looked breathlessly toward who she decided was _definitely_ her girlfriend.

"Because you're taking me out on a date. You liked being in control, yes? Then take control. I'll see you tonight, text me what time to expect you" One last look at Regina's disbelieving face, and the door closed with Emma leaning against it, forehead pressed to the wood as she tried to lower her body temperature soaring far too be healthy.

(x)(x)(x)

At 8 P.M sharp, Regina had picked her up, wearing since the first time Emma had seen her in the decade _, a dress_. It clung to every inch of her, gripping at those curves in a way that made Emma jealous. Adorned in a black dress that was off shoulder, had a slit from thigh to ankle and matched with gold jewellery, the blonde nearly suggested a night in.

Another opportunity to turn back around and head for the apartment arose when Emma was escorted to a town car, Regina sliding in besides her looking confident and pleased with herself whilst she looked over Emma's form again. Unlike Regina, Emma had changed drastically in the last ten years, she had filled out, become more mature and jaded with life experiences that thankfully hadn't turned her into a diva. So Regina looked, appreciated the sight of Emma in her pale blue dress, the two toned hue done spectacularly well for the strappy garment not to look anything but elegant. Crisscrossing in the back, and clinching at her waist, the dress looked almost heavenly with those princess curls and white heels that matched the top half of the garb.

It was a look that Regina completely ruined by the time they arrived at the restaurant, the tension between them building until the brunette had launched herself across to Emma and pulled her in for a hard kiss, lips and teeth merging as one in the backseat of the dark car.

There were hands in her hair, Emma climbing on top of her to straddle her waist, and then tongue swiping at her bottom lip before moving in to duel with hers, their mouths creating a rhythm that seemed familiar yet so very different. Hands roamed curves without abandon, hips moved in tandem with each other until the awkward cough of the driver holding open the door had Emma jerk away from Regina, embarrassment heating her cheeks pink.

Once they were inside, coats taken and seated in a very romantic setting, Emma offered Regina a shy smile and played with the candle on the table, very aware that her lipstick, unlike Regina's, was completely gone. Their unbalanced relationship was turning a corner, and Emma was glad she had given over the reigns to the older woman who thrived on being in control, who liked the details and joy from taking care of someone else. Emma on the other had was so used to Regina pampering her, that even if she did want to do something for her girlfriend later on, the first step, the inch toward the mile had to be from Regina.

"I want the series" Emma said softly, skipping the pleasantries and compliments. It wasn't like them to ease into things, everything they did was jerky and seemed unnatural, a far cry from a best performance, but being surrounded by the entertainment industry had them both appreciate the realness of such a relationship.

"Why?" And this time, Regina was not asking about the stability of the job.

"Because she's a supporting character. The room for growth in secondary characters with a slight grey in their past is going to feed more popularity than a character that is established. This role demands a certain level of spunk, of experience that requires survival. Not in her actions, but in her mind. I connect… this character is me" Reaching across to take Regina's hand, the casting director responded by rubbing her thumb over Emma's knuckles, knowing that one day, Emma would stop needing her as a mentor, and instead something else they had yet to define. For once, the infamous Regina Mills was content with simply being someone's support structure.

"And they need a casting director" It went without saying that a casting director was ever present in the series, that they constantly replaced and added in characters, and if Emma was going, if she was hinting at a job…

"What do you mean?" Because it couldn't stick as a thought in Regina's head, it needed to be voiced, to be solidified instead of being a simple idea.

"It means I love you, and I want more for us than this in-between that we were never good at. I want you… I want us to be together-"

"You want us to go public?" Because moving to wherever and probably living together working for the same people was just as good as placing a neon sign above their heads with obnoxious arrows pointing at their relationship status.

"I want…" And maybe it wasn't the right place to do this, but when has anything ever been proper and scripted for them?

Sliding the black ring box she still doubted was for her toward Regina, Emma shyly looked at her hands and then back up to the brunette who looked at her in utter shock. If it was a proposal, it was perfect.

The acceptance, easing Regina into a sense of calm, gave her permission to ask, to take control and lead them in a direction that they both had silently agreed on. It was the beginning of the future then, and even the click of a distant camera as Regina lead Emma out into the balcony, dim lights from Chinese lanterns providing a romantic glow, and a soft "Will you marry me?" whispered from the casting director's lips, couldn't bother the couple who embraced and kissed, tears and promises being made between them to be splattered on the cover pages of every single news outlet there was.

The interviews that Emma attended asked about her past relationship with Regina, whether they been together when she was only sixteen, and Emma, faithful and remembering the agreement that pushed them this far, said no _._

_It was a blooming love, one that crept up on us whilst we worked together for my new project. There was never anything beyond my own crush when Regina mentored me._

The story stuck, and three months later with the still unfamiliar weight on her finger, Emma moved across country with Regina in tow, a large house to their name, and a promise of a future that ensured stability and companionship they both had craved for years.

(x)(x)(x)

"It's been a sensational three years for you, hasn't it?" The interviewer asked, his smile wide and so plastic, Emma could only laugh at the way his mouth moved.

"It has! But I'm eternally grateful to everyone who supported me, my fans, and family" The usual dialogue was given, Emma absently twisting her ring around her finger, a nervous habit she had picked up from her co-star Mary Margaret, a woman Regina thought was too much like her character.

"So we've heard a few things in the news, a new project coming up, and a few details about your personal life perhaps?" Wiggling his eyebrows, the interviewer fished for details, trying to squeeze more out of her than she let out to the press every now and again. After those picture of her engagement to Regina in the press, they had decided to keep their lives as private as possible, and so far, with the security of shooting in Vancouver, they hadn't had much time to look at their lives as extraordinary until they came back to Los Angels.

"My new movie is releasing next week, _White knight_ , that's going to be an exciting event" Before she could get too passionate about the medieval take on her story with Regina, slightly adapted of course to candy coat the raw edges, Emma sat back in her chair to let the interviewer take over.

"And that's loosely based on your story with your wife, correct?" The crowd watching cheered, congratulations being thrown at her from every angle as the interviewer brought up that little fact of being married so subtly.

Behind her, a picture of the two of them in their wedding dresses, laughing and holding onto their son in a cute little tux was shown. They had adopted Henry the year after they settled in Vancouver, Regina deciding that she needed to do some charity work in the too quiet town, and upon entry into the orphanage, this little seven year old child had captured her heart. Emma had never seen Regina beg for anything before, and within a few months, with their influence caught in the mix, they had officially adopted Henry as their own.

"It is, some parts are added in for the dramatics, others are smoothed over and timelines are different, but if you have to watch it, which I assume you will-" the crowd cheered again "Then it's a pretty awesome plot on its own"

Quietened down by the interviewer, the crowd had a small window of opportunity to ask Emma a question.

The first person, a woman who introduced herself hailing from California held the mic within her shaky grasp, told Emma how much she adored her and then spoke up "Do you find it difficult to navigate your way through Hollywood with a same sex partner, that too who is much older than you? Do you get discriminated against?"

Gathering her thoughts, because the question was so important, just as much as her answer, and Emma wanted to give hope to all those who were in the same predicament as her. She couldn't have been the first one to fall in love with a woman twice her age, nor try to maintain some sort of healthy relationship despite glaring differences such as stamina, tastes in music, and recently how to raise a child.

"Discrimination will happen no matter what you do to try and avoid it, but it's how you take that discrimination and react to it that makes all the difference. At the end of the day, love is love" Keeping it brief, short and just in time for the interview to end, Emma breathed a sigh of relief, locking eyes with her wife, this time not cowering behind the arm of a fake boyfriend.

This time, Emma looked right at Regina, blew her an air kiss and waved to her son. Their story may have been painful and raw, but it really had the perfect plot to push them toward a happy ending.

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you think. This is the longest one shot I've written, I hope I did this story justice, and that you've all enjoyed this piece!


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